As Dusk Falls
by Evil Wears a Suit
Summary: What if no one found out Mikage helped Teito escape until later? If Mikage lived to serve in the military, how would this effect the growing tensions between the military and the church? When two friends are found on opposing sides of a conflict, things never end well.


**My one and only disclaimer:** I don't own 07-ghost, I merely own the plot. I think that should keep me covered for the rest of this story, no?

The basis of this story idea?

I always wondered what would happen if it took the Black Hawks longer to find out that Mikage had anything to do with Teito escaping. Also, Teito is supposed to be top of his military academy class with lots of experience as a battle slave; yet, he often seems to fall short of what his abilities should be. I'm writing this story under the idea that Teito is stronger and that his slave status has more of an effect on who he is, how he sees himself, and the general plot of the story. Overall, I want this story to be an action/adventure story possibly along the lines of a tragedy.

So, without further ado, enjoy this tale I've spun.

* * *

**As**

**...**

** Dusk**

**...**

** Falls**

**...**

**Chapter One: Break Out**

Staring at the chains binding his hands and feet, Teito took a slow deep breath to calm himself. His years of training as a battle slave had taught him to keep his emotions in control, and at certain times, to kill them off completely. Now wasn't the time to lose his head. Glancing at the iron bars of his cell, Teito could see two guards sitting beyond them, but he could hear three or four others that they were talking to just outside his line of sight. If he was going to get out of here before Ayanami could properly deal with him, he needed to take down all of the guards outside his cell as quickly and quietly as possible. If even a single one escaped to sound the alarm, the ensuing chase would probably catch up with him before Teito had enough time to leave the 1st District behind him.

Closing his eyes, Teito began constructing a mental map of where he was. His current location was on the top floor of the building they were in. Even if he broke the bars of the small window to his cell, and could fit through the opening, the drop to the ground below would easily kill him. That meant leaving the way he'd come in; through the building and down multiple floors. The problem would be that he'd have to avoid all the guards between his cell and whenever he got to somewhere safe.

Frowning, Teito debated his options of escape should he manage to get past all the guards. He could always just keep running, and run right out of the military academy, but going by foot would be slow and would most likely lead to him being caught before he could make it out of the city. Thinking of what else was available to him as an escape method, Teito came to the conclusion that the hawkziles used to train the cadets would be his best option. All of the dragons were equipped with the standard military saddle and booster engines, but Teito knew from experience that some hawkziles were better than others. He'd need to find one that could fly for a long time without stopping and also one that could fly fast enough to outrun any pursuers.

The last issue to deal with would be getting to where the hawkziles were kept. First he'd have to get out of the building he was currently in, and then he'd have to cross the grounds, infiltrate the hawkzile hanger, and slip out with a hawkzile before anyone could stop him. It wouldn't be easy, and the longer it took, the greater the chance that his escape would be noticed.

Feeling a certain sense of calm, or perhaps more than calm, a lack of emotion would be more accurate, Teito slowly opened his eyes. He always felt this way once he understood the plan of the mission assigned to him. True, this mission was self-given rather than an order received from a superior, but that didn't matter. After his assault on Ayanami earlier, he doubted he'd receive another order from a military official again. No, if he didn't escape tonight his punishment would most likely be death.

Waiting for the night to drag on into the early hours of the morning when the guards would be the least alert and the building hallways as empty as possible, Teito sat quietly like a statue, refining and tweaking his escape plan to perfection. One of the parts he spent the longest thinking of was how to take down all the guards outside his cell since the rest of the plan would mean nothing if he was caught right away. Finally, near the first hour, Teito judged the time to be right. Standing up as silently as his chains would allow, Teito summoned his zaiphon with a quick sweep of his arm. It was Ayanami's mistake to not make sure he couldn't summon it when he was put in his cell earlier.

Flicking his wrist, Teito sent the zaiphon crashing into the iron bars of his cell. Before the smoke could clear and allow him to visually confirm that the bars were gone, Teito jumped, passing through the twisted iron to land a hard punch to the temple of the first guard. The man crumpled as the remaining guards began to realize just what was going on.

"The prisoner is trying to escape!"

"Stop him!"

"Block the door so he can't get out!"

A grim twitch of his lips was the only sign Teito gave as he engaged the second guard. He'd been hoping for this; the guard's pride kept them from going for help right away, thinking that they could take on an academy cadet by themselves. Well, when they woke up later they would all say Teito was no normal cadet if his plan went the way it was supposed to.

_"Show no mercy Teito Klien. Others will see that as weakness, and weaknesses are to be taken advantage of."_ Chairman Miroku's words echoed inside Teito's head as he hit high and low, taking the second guard out without any trouble. He didn't want to kill these men; they were simply doing what they were told, guard him. Like the prisoner he and Mikage had fought in their practical cadet finals that afternoon, Teito saw no reason to kill, but if it was kill or be killed…that was a different story.

Blood splattered across Teito's front as one of the guard's swords nicked him in the chest. The red liquid felt hot and sticky against his skin, and the sharp clear pain of the wound helped Teito to clear his mind. Hissing quietly, Teito struck the man's sword arm, breaking his forearm without a second thought before stealing the man's sword and cutting his neck open. His thoughts earlier had distracted him, causing him to be careless and not respond to the sword attack fast enough, but now, his head was empty, just like when he was battle slave 2741. Nothing mattered except for eliminating those who were in his way.

Dodging a blast of zaiphon, Teito used his speed to appear behind the guard who had tried to attack him. A sharp hit to the neck sent the man crumbling to the ground. The next two guards fell just as easily until only one guard was left. Upon seeing Teito turn his cold eyes on him, the guard hardly spared a glance at his comrades before running for the door, intent on raising the alarm.

Alarm bells ringing in his head, Teito dashed towards the man. If even one person was warned that he'd escaped, he'd be in bigger trouble than he cared to deal with. Just as the man reached the door, it opened, and Teito prepared himself as he jumped into the air to take care of not one, but two enemies.

"Teito!"

Allowing his zaiphon to fade, Teito could hardly believe his eyes as the guard before him fell to the ground unconscious. He knew that voice all too well.

"Teito!" a blond haired boy said again as he grabbed onto Teito's bloody hand. It only took a moment for him to notice the shallow gash on Teito's chest. "AH! That's not good Teito!" Pulling off his cadet jacket, the boy forced Teito to put it on. Luckily, the boys were the nearly the same size, so the jacket fit Teito well.

"Mikage," Teito said even as he buttoned up the jacket out of habit, "what are you doing here?"

"I came to bust you out of course. I should have known you were the type to bust yourself out though," Mikage grinned. "Come on, we need to get you out of here." Before Teito could put up a protest, Mikage had grabbed onto his wrist and was dragging him through the halls.

"How did you find me, Mikage? You shouldn't be here."

"And neither should you," Mikage replied, stopping where two halls intersected to make sure no one was there. "When you didn't show up in the barracks on time, I knew something was up, and then I overheard some senior officers talking about a guy that fit your description, and I think you can figure out the rest."

"You're going to be in a lot of trouble if anyone sees you with me," Teito said, trying to figure out a way to shake Mikage so he could make his way to the hawkzile hanger. The linoleum floors made his chains echo in the empty hallways far too loud for Teito's liking. Someone was sure to hear it and come investigate.

"Don't tell me you've already forgotten our promise." Meeting Mikage's eyes, Teito knew the other boy could tell that he hadn't. How could he forget? He'd never been close to anyone before Mikage forced his way into his life, so promising to always protect each other and be the others best friend was something he'd remember till the day the died on the battle field together.

"This isn't a battlefield, Mikage. Thanks for coming, but I can handle it on my own from here." Checking around another corner to make sure it was clear Teito took off, leaving Mikage behind him. Somehow, he wasn't surprised when the other boy appeared at his side, goofy grin in place.

"Don't think you can get rid of me that easily, Teito. A battlefield is wherever you fight, and you're fighting right now, so of course I can't leave you alone. I'm going to make sure you get out of here, and then I'll sneak back to the barracks. If anyone asks me, I'll say that I haven't seen you since the practical exam." Teito couldn't help but shake his head a little bit. This was so like Mikage to ignore what he said and follow his own messed up agenda. Still, glancing at his best friend out of the corner of his eye, Teito felt a warmth inside his chest at the fact that he was there with him. He'd thought about trying to sneak in to say goodbye to Mikage on his way to the hawkziles, but it would have been too risky, and who knew when they'd see each other again.

"…Thanks, Mikage."

"Anytime, Teito," Miakge said, flashing a grin. "But, listen, are you going to be okay with your injuries?"

Teito lifted a hand to his chest. It came away warm and sticky with blood. "I'll be fine. Sorry about your jacket though."

"Don't be. Since I'm only an inch taller than you now, we wear the same size, so I'll just take yours when I get back to the barracks." Teito knew Mikage was right, but it was only by luck that they were the same size. Until just a handful of months prior, Mikage had had a definite size advantage over him, but Teito had finally hit his growth spurt and was quickly catching up. If he kept growing at his current rate, he'd be taller than Mikage within a few months' time.

Recognizing the hall they were currently running down as the one that Mikage should take to get back to the barracks as quickly as possible, Teito came to a stop.

"Teito? What's wrong? Are your injuries worse than you thought?" Mikage didn't really need to ask the last question as the dark stain on his jacket slowly grew larger and larger, but they both knew Teito didn't have time to get medical help.

"Mikage… we'll always be best friends, right?" Teito could feel his chest tightening. He didn't want to leave Mikage here. If anything, he wanted to take his friend with him, but no. He couldn't put Mikage in that kind of danger. Not when Mikage had something he didn't, a family, waiting at home to hear about his graduation from the academy.

"What are you talking about? Of course we'll always be friends. We promised. Now, come on, let's get you out of h-" Mikage's sentence was cut short as Teito punched him in the stomach, doubling him over.

"Tei…to…"

"Sorry, Mikage," Teito said as he propped his friend up against the wall. "You should be able to move again in a few minutes. When you can, head for the barracks. I'll go on alone now." Before Teito could move away, Mikage grasped onto his arm.

"Idiot," Mikage gasped,"make sure you stay alive out there. We'll see each other again someday, so stop sounding so sad. I want to see you go with a smile."

"Mikage…" Shaking his arm free, Teito stepped back as he stared down at his friend, the one who'd taught him how to smile in the first place. It was a bit forced, but Teito's lips curved upwards before he turned and dashed off down the hall.

"Thank you, Mikage."

Teito could feel his eyes growing moist, but ignored it as he ran down the halls that felt so empty without the other cadets to fill the space like they did during the daytime. Right, left, down, Teito made his way through the building, avoiding the few people he came across until he finally snuck out of a window on the first floor. Landing on the hard ground, Teito took in a quick survey of his surroundings. There was nobody that he could see between him and the hawkzile hanger, but there were sure to be a few guards on the inside, and the ground between him and the hanger had no cover to hide in. Teito took a moment to mentally debate his options. On the one hand, he could walk the distance and hope that if anyone saw him they'd think he was supposed to be there. On the other hand, he could sprint the distance, but his movement would draw immediate attention if anyone saw him.

Quickly deciding that time was of the essence now, and that if anyone saw him, he'd rather be running and able to reach the hawkzile faster, Teito took one last scouting look around before dashing towards the hanger. It was at times like this that Teito's speed that was trained into him as a battle slave came in handy. No one in his academy class could match his speed, and the distance between him and the hanger quickly disappeared. By the time he reached the hanger though, Teito was gasping for breath and clutching at his chest which burned and pulsed in intense pain.

"Hey, what's the rush?" a cheery voice called. Teito felt his blood freeze. He recognized that voice, even if he didn't know the name to match it. Sure enough, as Teito snapped his head up, he caught sight of Ayanami and the tall dark haired man with glasses that followed him around. It was only a split second, but Teito was positive he saw recognition of who he was flash across their features.

"Hey, how did you-"

Teito didn't wait for Ayanami's man to finish his question. All thoughts of his injury fled from Teito's mind as he burst into the hawkzile hanger, startling the guards who were playing a card game to pass the time. Adrenaline pumping through his system, Teito called upon his zaiphon as he ran towards the nearest hawkzile. There was no time to be picky about which one he got; he could only hope that it was one of the better ones. Throwing his zaiphon towards the wall, Teito jumped onto the hawkzile's back, wincing at the pain.

Urging the hawkzile to take off, Teito guided it towards the smoking hole he'd opened in the side of the building. As the hawkzile flew out of the smoke, Teito's emerald eyes locked onto Ayanami's deep violet ones. Tearing his gaze away as he swore he heard Ayanami whisper his name, Teito poured zaiphon in to the booster engines mounted on the hawkzile to help the dragon fly faster as he angled it away from Ayanami and tried to gain some altitude.

Following a gut feeling, Teito called up a zaiphon shield just as blast of zaiphon from Ayanami rammed into his exposed back. Teito let out a large, hacking cough, slamming his already injured chest onto the saddle of the hawkzile. His shield had been able to block some of the damage, but because it wasn't quite formed all the way, and because Ayanami's attack was so powerful, it had still done quite a bit of damage if the pain in his back was anything to judge by.

Pushing as much zaiphon as he could into the booster engines mounted on the hawkzile, Teito spared a blurry gaze backwards at the quickly diminishing sight of Ayanami and the military academy. Flying up higher and higher, Teito continued to fuel the engines with his zaiphon, maintaining maximum speed while guiding the hawkzile to fly into the clouds so he couldn't be seen from the ground. As the adrenaline began to wear off, Teito slumped forward, placing an arm between his chest and the hawkzile's saddle while his other hand continued to feed zaiphon into the engines. Numb fingers undid the buttons of Mikage's jacket. Slipping out of the blood stained uniform, Teito stared at it for a long moment before slowly letting it go in the wind and watching it quickly disappear; he couldn't afford to be associated with the military anymore.

Taking deep breaths to try and help his vision as well as stay calm, Teito tried to assess the situation, but his mind simply couldn't hold a thought beyond wanting to sleep. Deep inside though, Teito knew sleeping could be fatal at this point, so he forced himself to slowly sit back up and pay attention to his surroundings. Flying through the clouds made it hard to navigate, so occasionally Teito dipped the hawkzile beneath the clouds for a few brief seconds to try and get his bearings. Every time he moved, Teito could feel the dried blood on his chest and back cracking and flacking off. It made his skin itch like crazy, but it was all he could do to hold onto the hawkzile's saddle and not fall off. The sun was rising, and he'd been forced to stop feeding zaiphon to the engines hours ago. Teito could tell he wasn't the only one who was tired. The hawkzile was also showing signs of exhaustion from a combination of not getting a full night's sleep and then being forced to fly as fast as possible for who knew far or long.

The clouds had long since disappeared as cover, so Teito could see the barren desert ground stretching out beneath him. How he'd stayed awake this long he didn't know, but he could barely sense his body, and his vision was extremely blurry with black around the edges.

"…I…should…land…somewh-" Teito never finished his sentence as his body finally succumbed to his injuries and fatigue. Slumping over unconscious, Teito's weight shift forced the hawkzile into a dive towards a canyon in the desert below.

* * *

**As**

**...**

**Dusk**

**...**

**Falls**

**...**

Good? Bad? You don't know? Whatever the case may be, feel free to throw a review my way, or, if you're not the reviewing type, hit the follow or favorite button before you go since those are just as effective as reviews minus the effort of typing something. (If they weren't so lazy, I swear lazy people would take over the world. Wait...)

Anyways, keep your eyes peeled for the next update. Over and out.

-EWAS


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